Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Crafting Forever - August Step It Up Blog Hop

Welcome to the August 2017 Edition of the We Create Bloggers Step It Up Blog Hop! The theme is to inspire stampers with a basic design, and at least one alternate "stepped up" version of that same design. My project this month features the NEW Crafting Forever stamp set (available in wood-mount and cling-mount)

I kept my basic version pretty simple, mostly straight stamping. I did add some little highlights to the pens in the background with a Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker. I also used a label outline from the Label Me Pretty stamp set (wood-mount or cling-mount), but I didn't want all the details from the image, so I inked up the parts I wanted with a Tempting Turquoise Stampin' Write Marker. The flexibility to do precision inking like that is one reason I had to have the entire set of the Many Marvelous Markers. To get the saying right smack in the center of the label outline where I wanted it, I used ye olde Stamp-a-ma-Jig...an oldie, but a goodie.

For my "stepped up" version, I created sort of an ink-splotchy background on the Shimmery White card stock. You can see I stamped around the edges of the card base with the finger loops part of the scissors image that's in the Crafting Forever stamp set, to add a little interest. I also went around the edges of the Basic Black card stock layer, and over the entire banner layer, with Clear Wink of Stella, to give both those parts some glimmer. It looks pretty smooth in person, even though the lighting on the picture makes it look like there are textured lines. Then I bumped up the bling a little more with some Clear Faceted Gems.

You can see the background a little better in this closeup. First, I wet the Shimmery White card stock with water from a Stampin' Spritzer. Then I dropped a few drops of Tempting Turquoise reinker into the lid of the Tempting Turquoise ink pad (for a palette), and used a wet Aqua Painter to pick up some reinker. I then held the Aqua Painter over the card stock and tapped the Aqua Painter, and splotches came flying off and landed on the card stock. I squeezed a little more water from the Aqua Painter when I wanted the color lighter, and I went back and dabbed the tip of the Aqua Painter back into the reinker puddle when I wanted the color darker. I set my card stock piece down into a clear shoe box, so I could reach down into there to splatter, and then I just rinsed out the plastic box afterwards. You can wait for the card stock to air dry, or use a Heat Tool...but if you do the latter, be sure to alternate the heat on the front of the card stock, then the back, then front, back, etc., as you're drying, to minimize warping.

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